Class Notes

Hello from your new Class of ’89 agent. I was thrilled to hear from several people and find some old friends.

I live in Manassas, Va., with my husband and our five teenagers. My stepdaughter, Kiauna, is a sophomore at UMW, and my husband, Mike, is finishing a degree at the Stafford campus. I’m going on my 22nd year as a software engineer in Springfield, Va., and enjoy playing flute with the Prince William Community Band and boating on the Potomac River.

Sharon Perry Fuller and husband Jim, who live in Richmond’s West End with their two bulldogs, enjoyed a summer trip to Barcelona and Mallorca, Spain. Sharon is in her 16th year with Royall & Company, which helps colleges and universities recruit students. Michele Linden Scherdin retired from the entertainment business, is a part-time personal trainer, and spends time with her husband and children Regan, Justin, Ryan, and Jaime in New Orleans. Anastasia Shirley Carson, who teaches art in Gastonia, N.C., and husband Paul were looking forward to moving to Asheville, N.C. Daughter Ally (my goddaughter) is a freshman at Wake Forest University. Their youngest, Nadia, is still at home.

Bruce Newcomer has lived in the Fredericksburg area since graduation, taught in Spotsylvania County for 22 years, and was recently accepted to Biltmore Who’s Who. David Richards, associate professor at Pennsylvania College of Technology, has taught physics and astronomy there since 1995. He earned a doctorate in instructional systems at Penn State in August 2010 and lives in Montoursville, Pa., with his wife and two children. Beth Mazza Robertson moved with her family from Fairfax, Va., to San Carlos, Calif., with a stopover in Colorado, following her husband’s promotions at Gazillion Entertainment. Beth, a stay-at-home mom of two, is active in the PTA.

 Look for the next Class Notes deadline in this issue and please let me know how you are doing!

Keith Jensen is single, lives in Mount Prospect, Ill., and, as humanities chair at Harper College in Palatine, puts his Mary Washington English and classics background to use teaching courses like classical mythology and history through the Middle Ages. Steven Paul and wife Anita moved to Augusta, Maine, last summer after 18 years in Pittsburgh.Steven has a new job at the University of Southern Maine, working with the Maine Center for Disease Control to develop and implement a performance improvement system. In June, Steven and Anita welcomed their first child, Jacob Franklin. Steven’s Mary Washington roommate, Michael Egan ’91, attended Jacob’s bris.

Mary Sherley Fenimore’s children, Carter, 5, Emily, 8, and Taylor, 10, were in elementary school this fall, and Mary was using her “free time” to grow her small public relations firm, Roundtable Communications. Jody Hobbs Hesler lives in Charlottesville with her husband and daughters Clara, 14, and Jillian, 13. She has had several stories published and won prizes for her fiction. She also is on the board of directors for FOCUS Women’s Resource Center in Charlottesville.

Hello, Class of ’91. Hope everyone is well. I didn’t receive any news for this issue. I hope to hear from many of you next time!

I became a class agent in July and heard from more than a dozen classmates before the Class Notes deadline. Several months pass between the time you send me your news and when that information is printed, so please keep sending your email and Facebook messages!

My husband, Tom, and I spent several days in July on St. Simons Island, where Tom had an engineering conference. We went whitewater rafting on the Ocoee River in Tennessee, enjoying some of the rapids on the 1996 Olympic course. We celebrated our 12th wedding anniversary with an August trip to St. Lucia, went scuba diving, and explored the reefs near the Piton Mountains. We hiked and camped in the fall with the Atlanta Outdoor Club, spending weekends at Dauset Trails in Jackson, Ga., Cloudland Canyon State Park in Rising Fawn, Ga., and Congaree National Park near Gadsden, S.C. I’ve been active with my homeowners association and as social chair on our board of directors. I planned numerous events and parties, welcomed more than a dozen families to the neighborhood in less than a year, and looked forward to our third annual caroling event.

Jarrod Epps has lived in Prague for 15 years and been married for five. An independent private equity investment advisor, he was starting an online project that began a massive development effort in January. He has visited 53 countries on his quest to get to 100. Last year he ran the London and Berlin marathons. Jarrod, a New Orleans Saints football fan, was getting his private pilot license in hopes of flying to our June reunion. He doesn’t have children but says it could happen soon! He stays in touch with Mark Clark, who lives in Richmond with wife Rene and their five children, and Sean Holcomb, who lives in San Francisco with wife Heather and their daughter. He is commissioner of the alumni-filled MWC fantasy football league. Drew White started a real estate advisory business, Brian Bodson coaches kids’ sports teams, and Brendan Casey, who lives in Chicago with wife Melissa and their four kids, works in Fermilab’s national particle accelerator program.

Kate Stanford McCown and husband John, an international tax director for Walmart, relocated to Bentonville, Ark., in January 2011, and Kate made the transition from working lawyer to stay-at-home mom of Ashlyn Elizabeth, 1, Jack, 7, and Mary Ella, 9. They love living in a beautiful state and looked forward to touring Crystal Bridges, an art museum that opened close to their home. Tevin Chaney of Fredericksburg works in the City of Alexandria’s GIS division in Virginia. He was working on a master’s in GIS in College Park at the University of Maryland, where he plans to pursue his doctorate in remote sensing.

The label Dave Derkowski was with for 15 years, Reprise Records, folded into Warner Brothers, and Dave now has more bands and territory as a company rep. His family’s sport of choice is softball, and daughters Julia, 11, and Lauren, 8, are on travel teams and have started to excel at pitching. The family planned a two-week trip to Australia. Dave and some classmates had a blast on campus in November, visiting Seacobeck which now serves sushi!, touring the dorms, stopping to wish Cedric Rucker ’81 a happy birthday, and hanging out on Campus Walk. The group included Doug Couvillion, who lives in Richmond with wife Shannon Struve and their two daughters; Frank Holleran of Alexandria, Va., who works for the government and travels the world; and Megan Prosser, who lives in Northern Virginia with husband Mike and still cares for her horses. They visited Gordon Dixon, who lives in Richmond with wife Valeta and their two boys, and Kent Romska, who lives in Richmond and works for Clear Channel Radio. The weekend was filled with memories of good times from 20 years ago. Dave, who is active in all things music, still travels to Washington, D.C., for shows and ran into Eric Axelson ’93 at a Fitz and The Tantrums concert.

Marc Tate lives in Centreville, Va., with wife Cemmi and children Marcus and Maddie and is a principal with Booz Allen Hamilton. Mark is set to appear in the winter 2012 issue of InSpire Magazine, which named him among the top 40 inspirers in America because of his contributions to his profession and community. Andy Gustafson, a travel agent for AAA, wife Ivy, and their children, Max and Maggie, have settled into their new Tampa, Fla., home, where they love the weather but miss their Northern Virginia friends. Amy Wilkinson Johnson and husband Jay work for Hanover County and live in Richmond with their two girls and two goofy dogs. Amy has worked for Hanover for 20 years and somehow ended up being a systems administrator despite avoiding computer classes at Mary Washington. Amy and her family are busy with Girl Scouts, horseback riding, Miracle League baseball, and hanging out with friends and family. They were excited about their winter vacation, including trips to Tampa and Jacksonville, Fla., four days on the Disney Dream, and plans to be home by Christmas Eve.

Tim Pohanka, who lives two blocks from Mary Washington, where his son is enrolled, learned what it’s like to come home to a house full of college students using his house as a frat and quickly put an end to it. He has been the operating officer for Pohanka Nissan Hyundai dealerships for three years. Christine Harrison Grant left her 18-year career as a professional fundraiser for local and national nonprofits to start her business, Nonprofit Support Solutions in Raleigh, N.C. She provides individual and group coaching, fundraising consulting, and training services to nonprofit staff and board members. Christine received her professional certification from Coach Training Alliance in 2009 and hopes to continue growing her practice. She recently became engaged to Tom Casey, who she’s dated for more than five years, but wedding plans had not yet been set. Christine looks forward to seeing classmates at our reunion. Sadly, she lost her mother, Nancy, to ovarian cancer in 2010.

I want to close by thanking everyone who sent news about themselves and classmates. In this technological age, we’re well connected in many ways, but I really enjoy keeping up with UMW in this magazine’s format. With University of Mary Washington Magazine in my hands, I can look at current photos, see how much UMW has changed, and read about what we’ve seen and done since graduation. I’m easily transported back in time when I read your names; 20 years slip by fast, but memories rise just as quickly. I can’t wait to relive the good old days at our reunion in June!

Hey friends! I’m sad to have missed our 15-year reunion this summer. Those who went said it was a blast! I started my 14th year teaching in September and am challenged with having a class of 12 second-graders and 12 third-graders. Keep me posted on what’s going on with you. Facebook has made it easier to stay in touch. If you haven’t joined our group, come find us!

Lisa Prillaman and partner Heather welcomed baby Ava to their family in June. In October, Melissa Smith Allison and husband Tim welcomed baby Violet, who had heart surgery when she was 6 days old and was recovering well. Jamie Wasserman added to his family this year, is now the dad of three, and planned to move to a bigger house in Columbia, Md. Jamie published his first novel, and his second book was accepted for publication this year. Kari Neckel Mitchum started a new job with the American Bankers Association in Washington, D.C. Both of Kari’s sons are at the school where I teach, so we see each other often!

April Tofanelli, who lives in San Francisco with husband George, took a self-imposed three-month break between quitting her job in October and starting a new consulting gig with Mercer in January. Erin McGintee, husband Dave, and children Nora, 7, Kieran, 5, and Patrick, 2, moved back to Erin’s hometown of East Hampton, N.Y., in 2009, after nine years in Pennsylvania, where Erin worked at Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. She is now an allergist for ENT & Allergy Associates. Erin looked forward to seeing Kevin Cooke of Northern Virginia when he returned to Long Island for a fall visit.

Can you believe it’s been 15 years since we filed down Campus Walk in our caps and gowns? Now we’re – gasp – responsible adults who carry mortgages, worry about 401(k)s, and raise children.

In March, Laura Coco Hampton and husband Wade welcomed daughter Quinn, who’s adored by big brother Beckett. Despite good intentions, Laura’s attempt to be a mom of two and play on Les Shaver’s softball team this fall didn’t pan out, and she’s afraid her long career of drinking and softball may be on hiatus. In May, Bridget Stinger Murray and husband Dan welcomed third child Charlotte, who joins big brothers Kyle and Alex. The Murrays planned to move to the Burlington, Vt., area this spring.

Capt. Kevin Adams and wife Katharine welcomed their first child, Levi Muir, in June. Kevin, a defense attorney, and Katharine, a hospital legal advisor, are attorneys in the Army and stationed at Fort Bragg, N.C. After almost five years there and a long deployment, they hoped to move to a new post this summer. Julie Wiater Byrne and husband Brian welcomed fourth child Kateri Rose over the summer. She was born at home, where 6-year-old sister Teagan cut the umbilical cord. Their boys, Athanasius and Christian, are 4 and 2. Julie coordinates a Manassas, Va., home-school group.

Heather Baum Reynolds and husband Curt welcomed son Tate MacKinnon in August. Maria Cole, Jessica Ranero, Jonathan Cordone, Karen Aiello, Eric Gaffen, and Jackie Concodora gave Heather a gift certificate for a professional massage and baby items. Crissandra Finno Domroes and husband Stephen welcomed daughter Catharine Elizabeth in September in Stamford, Conn. Moving back east, starting a new job, buying a house, and having a baby have made life busy.

Jin Wong and wife Libby welcomed their first child, a son, Kai Ju-Lien, in October. Mike Dugan works for Sennheiser and lives in Connecticut with his wife and three children; they were expecting their fourth. Amanda Neptune Bridges was due in January to have her third child, a son, who will join Kate, 5, and Nick, 2½. After the baby arrived, they planned to move from South Jersey back to Tacoma, Wash., where husband Lt. Col. Brad Bridges was to take command of a C-17 squadron at the Air Force base. They lived the past five years in Korea, Alabama, and New Jersey.

Sarah Meyrowitz Meytin vacationed in New York with her family and visited Stephanie O’Connor Shockley. Brahim Asfahani and Tory Rendon Asfahani ’96 expected their third child, a boy, who will join big sisters Mirah and Lyla, this spring. Jennifer Wilson Watson talked with Brahim at the fall reunion committee meeting at UMW and looks forward to seeing everyone at the June class reunion. Husband Chris Watson ’96 was a part of a six-day mission building houses in Haiti with Habitat for Humanity and 500 volunteers, including Garth Brooks, Trisha Yearwood, and former President Jimmy Carter.

Looking forward to catching up with everyone at our class reunion the first weekend in June!

Seems we are in full-on baby mode, but we’d love to hear also about new jobs, new puppies, new houses, going back to school, dropping out of society, or a favorite baseball team that choked in September. Email your updates now, while you’re thinking about it!

Larissa Lipani Peluso was training for a triathlon while learning a new position as a math specialist teacher. Her boys, Anthony and Deacon, keep her busy, but she finds time to swim with the local Masters team. Larissa recently saw Laura Letchworth Nesbitt and Erin Rodman, who ran her first half marathon. Larissa also saw Andrea Haymes when they both ran in a Warrior Dash Mud Run (where there was also a possible Sara Goode sighting).

James Creegan, who made partner at his Princeton, N.J., law firm in the fall, lives with wife Meg and sons Jack, Cole, and Hugh. Caitlin Jenkins was to move from Brooklyn to Los Angeles after finishing her fellowship at the Brooklyn Museum in December. Jennifer Carter Tsimpris and husband Basil of Richmond expected their first child, John, in November. Robyn Oliver Hedges welcomed baby girl Sierra Rachel in July. Josh Bacigalupi and wife Darci welcomed son Miles Bryan, named after two soldiers who served with Josh in Afghanistan.

Betsy Kiger West lives in Ashburn, Va., near Amanda Newman Karhuse. Betsy welcomed Ella Elizabeth in June, and Amanda welcomed Ronan David in August. Sara Leedom sent her update from Mali and planned to travel to Senegal, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, and Benin. Back in San Francisco, Sara saw Nedra Stuckey, who is working on her MBA in Arizona.

Darien Berkowitz Jacobson and husband Andy have entered Northern Virginia barbecue competitions; so far, their best finish is third place for briskets. Adrien Snedeker Dickerson and husband Adam have brought son Simon to sample the Jacobsons’ offerings. Andy Brown still travels the world as production manager for Hubbard Street Dance Chicago and was recently in Russia for performances at the Mikhailovsky Theatre in St. Petersburg.

The Chapins spent time with Ed Kriete, Mike Cirami, and Ashley Hicks Weisleder in Dublin, Ireland, for Sean Tuffy’s October wedding to Lorraine Dunbar. But mostly we check our inbox for updates from ’98ers, so let us know what you’re up to!

Ellen Perry Clark and husband Josh of Northern Virginia welcomed daughter Bonnie Jean in September. Rachel Silbaugh Norman and husband Sean of Woodstown, N.J., welcomed Evan Timothy in October.